Priority runners or newcomers, it's time for all trail running lovers to register for the 19th edition of the UTMB® Mont-Blanc. This year, all runners can register at the same time and have 13 days - until January 18 - to pre-register or use a priority entry. There are some news, including a new start time for the TDS® and a new, more challenging route for the OCC. Note that this is the last year of the historic qualifying points system before the switch in 2023 to a lottery only accessible through the Running Stones, that can be collected by running the UTMB® World Series races. As for elite runners, the entry criteria for 2022 is still based on performance and qualifying points with the UTMB® Index being taken into account as well. For runners who go through the lottery, results will be announced on January 26 at 10am (CET).

Here's the 2022 registration dates:

• December 7 to 19, 2021: registration for charity runners (see entry process here)
• January 6 to 18: pre-registration for the lottery & registration for priority runners (see entry process here)
• January 26: results of the lottery
• January 26 to February 6: runners selected via the lottery have to finalize their registration

UTMB® Mont-Blanc 2022 entry process

To register, all elite and amateur runners must meet the following sports criteria:

Runners who have collected Running Stones

• UTMB® race entry: at least 1 Running Stone AND a valid UTMB® Index in the 100K or 100M category
• CCC®, OCC, TDS® races entry: at least 1 Running Stone

Runners who have not collected Running Stones

• UTMB®: 10 points acquired between 01/01/2019 and 31/12/2021 (in 2 races maximum)
• CCC®: 6 points acquired between 01/01/2019 and 31/12/2021 (in 2 races maximum)
• TDS®: 8 points acquired between 01/01/2019 and 31/12/2021 (in 2 races maximum)
• OCC: 4 points acquired between 01/01/2019 and 31/12/2021 (in 2 races maximum)
  
  Finishers of 2018 UTMB® Mont-Blanc races may as well use these races as qualifying races. Runners may check their priorit level for 2022 registration on their runner's account.

New in 2022

• TDS® : Unchanged course and new schedule. The start from Courmayeur will be given at midnight on Tuesday, August 23rd (i.e. the night between Monday 22 and Tuesday 23). More details here.
• OCC: a new course, starting from Orsières in the Swiss Valais, as usual. The race will follow the route of the MCC between Trient and Argentière. Runners will cross the Franco-Swiss border by passing through the iconic Col de Balme and its amazing views. More details here.
• YCC: the Youth Chamonix Courmayeur is getting a new look. This challenge dedicated to young runners born between 2000 and 2008 changes its format with a trail running race taking place in Courmayeur on Tuesday and a new short and innovative race on Wednesday in Chamonix. For this second run, participants shall start in reversed order of the times achieved in the previous day's race. More details here.

The UTMB®: an Epic Race

The UTMB® collaborates with the podcast Course Epique to share the strong emotions of the event. In this new episode, Leslie Laliman shares her very thrilling experience on the UTMB® trails.

Leslie's story and her special connection to the UTMB® Mont-Blanc races dates back to 2014 when she first raced the OCC, and then 3 years later when she participated in the CCC®, with its 100 km course. Following these 2 first experiences in Chamonix, in 2019 Leslie took the start of the pinnacle race, the UTMB®. A promising experience that she had meticulously prepared and that ended in a terrible and painful deception.

This deception would haunt Leslie for several months, until the UTMB® trails were once again open to her this past August. Under pressure at the idea of failing again, Leslie pushes her limits to live a 2021 UTMB® that will mark her life forever. This episode is the story of a woman who is willing to do whatever it takes to achieve her goals and dreams.